IF you’ve been struggling to get a good night’s sleep, you need to take a look at your lifestyle and eating habits – as making a few changes could help.

Eating certain types of food and avoiding others – as well as finding time for exercise – can help improve your quality of sleep.

And getting plenty of sleep will boost your general health and wellbeing.

Carbs

Eat foods rich in carbs, such as toast or porridge, two to three hours before bedtime. Dietician Louise Sutton from Leeds Beckett University says this will help stimulate the release of insulin, opening the pathways for tryptophan – the sleep hormone – to reach the brain.

Fish

Eat plenty of oily fish such as mackerel, tuna and salmon as these are sources of omega-3 DHA fatty acids, which can improve the quality of sleep, say Oxford University researchers.

Carrots

Red and orange foods such as carrots and tomatoes contain the antioxidant compound, lycopene,which, according to the University of Pennsylvania, can make a difference to sleep.

Cherries

Cherries are a natural source of melatonin, which helps regulate the sleep-wake cycle. A study found insomniacs who drank cherry juice twice a day for two weeks saw sleep time increased by nearly 90 minutes.

Rice

Japanese researchers found eating white rice can trigger a deeper sleep. But white bread, pancakes or pizza had no effect – and noodles and pasta can have a detrimental impact.

Cheese

Cheese before bedtime won’t give you nightmares. In fact, studies have shown dairy products like milk and cheese promote sleep in several ways. They include calming minerals such as magnesium and calcium, as well as peptides, which have anti-stress effects. They are also a source of tryptophan.

Cut coffee

Cutting back on coffee, alcohol and spicy meals in the evening has been proven to help with sleep. And if you have to have a coffee – try to make it before noon.

Exercise

Try to make time for exercise to improve sleep. Insomniacs who took up regular exercise slept better, felt less depressed and had more energy during the day, according to one study.

Breaks

Taking breaks at work will help you be more productive during the day, but can also help you at night. Breaks help lower your overall stress level and tension over the day so you can rest better at night.

Nuts

Walnuts are a great source of melatonin so eating them can lead to higher blood levels of this internal clock-controlling hormone, resulting in improved sleep, according to researchers at the University of Texas. Almonds could help as they’re high in magnesium.

New Routine

Nutritionist and wellness expert Dr Susan Biali, who works with bed company Dreams, suggests a change in routine can significantly improve your sleep.

She said: “If you have trouble falling asleep at night, it may be because you don’t take time to transition properly from your busy day into bedtime.

“Create a wind-down routine, such as making yourself a drink, some relaxing yoga or a few moments of mindfulness. Practise finding small islands of time for yourself throughout the day.”

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